Loneliness

One of the great problems of modern life is loneliness. We can be surrounded by thousands of people and feel alone. Despite living in the age of communications, true human communication is in crisis.

My wife and I visited a friend couple abroad. After years without seeing each other, it was exciting to meet and see that although we live far away and do not see each other often, our relationship remains alive and strong. However, they said their biggest problem was loneliness. "We don't know a single person in the neighborhood," they said sadly. They never see anyone when they enter or leave their home. They have no new friends. The sad thing is that they have lived in the same house for almost nine years.

More and more we are prey to individualism and the search for personal satisfaction that is characteristic of Western culture. We know many people who are alone, or feel alone, even though they are surrounded by relatives and neighbors, since each one has their own occupations and interests. Do some of the people who read this meditation to me suffer from loneliness?

Feeling lonely often depends on ourselves and the way we relate to others. Also the characteristics of contemporary life, its mobility, its contingencies and versatility favor it. We must strive to maintain a warm and constant relationship with those around us, and not fall into the temptation to isolate ourselves or lock ourselves in. This last attitude only reinforces the possibility of feeling increasingly lonely.

There is a company always available that I would like to talk to those who read these meditations about. In addition to worrying about achieving a good relationship with family and neighbors, our greatest need is to have a good relationship with God.

Jesus Christ said to his disciples: Behold, I am with you every day, until the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). However, sometimes we neglect to keep alive the spiritual relationship with the creator, who is an inexhaustible source of love and strength. Why despise the company of someone who does want to be constantly by our side? So whether you feel lonely or lonely, seeking God is a quick remedy at hand.

As the prison and death of Jesus approached he knew that his disciples would at some point leave him alone. However, he made sure they knew: I am not alone, because the Father is with me. It is a great comfort to know that the company of God will never fail us. Others may leave us and betray us, but God never will. In my pastoral life I have met many people who, forced by life circumstances to live alone, have always assured me that they feel the company of God so real that they never feel alone or alone.

It is beautiful and comforting to know that God is always there, only within the reach of a prayer.

God bless you!